Transcutaneous energy and information transmission system for a totally-implantable artificial heart - Unification of externally-coupled transcutaneous transformer for energy and information transmission

Abstract

In Totally-Implantable Artificial Heart (TAH) system, Transcutaneous Optical Information Transmission System (TOITS) and Externally Coupled Transcutaneous Energy Transmission System (ECTETS) are effective for driving, controlling and monitoring the TAH. Using these systems, a patient needs to wear an optical coupler and a transcutaneous transformer separately, and then the patient's QOL (Quality of Life) will be deteriorated. Therefore, we research the energy and information transmission by wearing an unified transcutaneous transformer. In this paper, the unified transcutaneous transformer for the energy and information transmission was investigated. As a result, the unified transformer, by which the coupling between the energy and information transmission was reduced was developed. © 2008 The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.